Friends of Berengrave  

About our organisation:

• Friends of Berengrave (FoB) became a formal organisation, rather than an ad-hoc group of interested people, with the election of a committee in June 2005
  
  
• Our constitution was ratified in October 2005
  
  
• We have received a £13,400 grant from the Local Heritage Initiative, part of the Heritage Lottery Fund, to enable us to undertake historical research and to publish our findings for the benefit of the public
  
  
• In 2006 we received a Certificate of Excellence and a Community Action Award from 'South & South East In Bloom'
  
  
• With grants from local councillor's Ward Improvement Funds, we have installed safety railings around the washmills and a security fence over a tunnel entrance in order to provide a safe hibernation habitat for small mammals and insects. It is our intention that this tunnel should be fitted out to provide a roost for bats
  
  
• We have had seven interpretation panels produced and have purchased the notice boards in which to fit them. These have been installed at strategic points around the reserve
  
  
• We discovered the whereabouts of a memorial plaque to the men of the British Standard Cement Company's works at Motney Hill who lost their lives in World War I. This used to be on display near the entrance to the cement works. It has now been put on public display in the visitor centre at Riverside Country Park
  
  
• 10,000 leaflets have been designed and printed to inform the public of the history, flora and fauna of the site. These have been distributed to local government buildings, schools, libraries, leisure centres, shops, etc.
  
  
• We have produced a booklet 'History and nature come together' which has been issued free to many schools and all libraries in the Medway area
  
  
• We have also produced a 10-page leaflet 'A self-guided walk in Berengrave Nature Reserve (Including Rainham Dock East)' which is on sale to the public for £0.50p from the visitor centre at Riverside Country Park
  
  
• A Stag beetle habitat has been installed in the reserve to encourage these rare insects
  
  
• We are undertaking a major archaelogical dig around the area of the washmills and engine house. So far we have uncovered the base of the engine house and, in addition to many smaller items, we have recovered an early 20th century water pump and one of the harrows from the wash mills.
  
  
• Our future hopes are to:
  
  • Provide an 'outdoor classroom' for the benefit of local schools and youth organisations
  • Surface some of the paths to improve access for those with mobility difficulties
  • Encourage the use of the reserve for educational and scientific purposes
  • Further encourage legitimate use of the reserve by the public
  • Publish the history of the site and its value as an area of nature interest to an ever widening audience
  • Build and install bat and solitary bee habitats
  • Have a permanent exhibition in the visitor centre at Riverside Country Park, where visitors can learn about the history, flora and fauna of Berengrave Local Nature Reserve